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Umbragard
Umbragard is the Realm of Shadows, ruled by King Spyridon and his family. It is a small kingdom that lies in a dark, usually mist-shrouded valley, and is inhabited mainly by Shadow people. It is located in the Otherworld. It is a dark reflection of the Conscious world. The Conscious world is often respectable, moral, and rigid on the surface, but corrupt underneath. Umbragard is the other way around— it seems utterly depraved, but underneath, it is a utopia. Social Structure A semi-feudal monarchy might seem odd for creatures that prize individualism and non-conformity, but Umbragard's monarchy and social structure only exist to keep things running smoothly. The sovereign cannot control the people's behavior. A monarch's duties include maintaining the trade economy, foreign policy, distributing resources, regulating portal use, settling disputes, protecting the land, and preserving quality of life. The monarch exist to support a society so that the people will not have to, not to tell them what to do. The king or queen is not a ruler so much as an overseer. Lords do the same things for their manors, but on a smaller scale. Land is divided up among lords and ladies throughout Nocturne Valley. People are allowed to live on the land in return for working it, though they are required to pay between 5 and 15% of the overall revenue to the lord. They are not serfs— not bound to the land, able to leave whenever necessary. It is the lord’s job to make sure that all of his tenants’ basic needs are met, and cannot impede their personal freedoms. In addition to Umbragard’s value of self-awareness, Spyro works hard to cultivate a culture of compassion and empathy, which is part of why this system works so well. Some lords also run businesses that maintain Umbragard’s trade economy. Umbragard has been ruled by the Shadowhawk family for over 500 years. The current king, King Spyridon I, and his wife Queen Hecate, are effective leaders. Most Shadows trust them to take care of the Shadow Realm. Spyro is a particularly good king, and extremely popular. He often talks to commoners, asking them for input and feedback on his decisions. He dedicates some of his time to helping commoners with their problems. Most Shadows are afraid of Hecate, and they only approach her if they need to. Lifestyle and Philosophy Though Shadows have existed since long before Carl Jung, they have since adapted the Shadow Complex as part of their culture. Although there is no written constitution in Umbragard, there are unwritten rules about how Shadows may treat each other, governed by moral principal rather than a list of rules. The only reason this actually works is through the introspection and self-awareness of every individual Shadow. Shadow children are taught their entire lives to own up to their mistakes and accept their flaws. They value authenticity and fairness. They avoid projecting onto other people, even Conscious people. Shadows also place a huge emphasis on finding safer (read: causing no lasting harm) ways to express their own darkness, such as art, role play, practical jokes, wild parties… and preying upon Conscious people. This constant awareness of one’s own behavior and the needs of other people, in addition to “safe outlets,” is what makes Umbragard such a stable society. The crime rate in Umbragard is ridiculously low. Even so, Shadows appear “evil” from the outside. Shadows do enjoy messing with Conscious people, from innocently scaring them to forcing them to question their worldview and their morality. Shadows prize the darker things in life and make a point of being a dark "reflection" of Conscious lifestyles and cultures. They constantly question and push boundaries, and they attempt to look inwardly rather than project blame. Surrounding kingdoms of Conscious people fear Umbragard, which they view as a dark, twisted world full of demonic creatures that feed on human souls (and they are not entirely wrong). Umbragard is, however, a beautiful and peaceful society full of "badly-behaved good people." Main Cities Nighthaven Nighthaven is Umbragard's largest and oldest city, the Royal city, which the King himself presides over. It stretches from Nocturne Park in the north to the Swamp in the south, and from Dark Wood in the west to the Palace in the east. It is mostly pseudo-medieval with some Victorian elements, and narrow, cobbled streets. Nyx describes several of its larger buildings as appearing "church-like," though they are clearly not churches. It is relatively well-lit for a Shadow city, mostly by torches and twisted iron lampposts. It is usually obscured by mist. Nighthaven is the center of Umbragardian social life and culture. The heart of Nighthaven is Revel, the town square. Windymere A mountain city of floating Shadows, centered around a magical well. It is presided over by the current Duke and Duchess of Windymere. Obscurus An Underworld city that became part of Umbragard when Spyro and Hecate were married. After their marriage, it was given to the Duke and Duchess Ohanzee, but they were killed shortly after. Other locations: * Palace of Eternal Night * Nocturne Park * Sanctum Umbrarum (The Sanctuary) * Nocturne Valley * Ravensbriar * Dark Wood * Ombra Observatory * Swamp